Some claims on social media about sun safety have grown into a major misconception that sunscreen could cause skin cancer.
Hundreds of creators, many on TikTok, have posted videos arguing that the sun isn’t the culprit in causing cancer, but rather that harmful chemicals found in sunscreens are to blame.
This stems from a 2021 recall of Neutrogena spray sunscreens and one Aveeno product (Aveeno Protect + Refresh aerosol sunscreen) due to the presence of benzene, a known carcinogen.
Johnson & Johnson officials confirmed that benzene is not a sunscreen ingredient, according to a Harvard Medical School advisory in Oct. 2021.
Additional testing reportedly found such low levels of benzene in these products that it would not be expected to cause health problems.
Experts advised choosing a different sunscreen brand as a solution.
But a national survey by the Orlando Health Cancer Institute in Florida found that one in seven adults under 35 years old believe sunscreen is more harmful to the skin than direct sun exposure.
Another 23% believe that drinking water and staying hydrated can prevent sunburns.
“This phenomenon taps into the public’s growing distrust of companies due to the proliferation of harmful chemicals in consumer products.”
Many Americans (32%) also believe that a tan makes people look better and healthier, the survey found.
Rajesh Nair, M.D., an oncology surgeon at the Orlando Health Cancer Institute, commented in a press release that there is “no such thing as a healthy tan.”
“It’s really just a visual manifestation of damage to the skin,” he said. “But we’re fighting against a perceived positive image and health benefits of something that actually has a totally opposite reality, which is that suntanned skin represents an increased risk of a deadly disease.”
“Age, gender and phenotype play a role, too.”
Krista Rubin, a nurse practitioner and member of Mass General Cancer Center’s Melanoma Team, told Fox News Digital that there is “little evidence supporting the claim that sunscreens are carcinogenic.”
“There is clear-cut evidence of the link between UV radiation exposure and skin cancer,” she wrote in an email. “However, the risk of developing skin cancer isn’t limited to UV radiation exposure – age, gender and phenotype play a role, too.”
Males are at a higher risk of developing skin cancer, Rubin said, as are people with blonde or red hair, light skin or light eyes.
Other risk factors include having a suppressed immune system, being a solid organ transplant recipient or taking certain medications.
Rubin reiterated that sunburns are caused by the sun’s UV rays damaging the skin. So, while drinking water in hot weather will help prevent dehydration and keep the body cool, it will not prevent sunburn.
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“A tan is visible evidence of skin injury,” the expert said. “Whether from the sun or from a tanning bed, tanning exposes the skin to high levels of UVA radiation, which we know is not healthy and is linked to both skin cancer and accelerated aging.”
Social media expert Eric Dahan, founder of Mighty Joy, said she believes social media has become “rife with misinformation about sunscreen.”
“It’s often spread by well-meaning but overall uninformed, self-appointed health and wellness experts and select dermatologists,” said Dahan, who is based in California.
“A lot of the misinformation is due to actual science being less engaging and more nuanced than bold (false) statements.”
Source: https://www.foxnews.com/health/does-sunscreen-cause-skin-cancer-doctors-debunk-claims-social-media